Improvement in folding settees



2 SheetsQ-Sheet 2..

P. P. MORSE. Folding-Same.

No. 216,803. Patented Jun 24, 1879'.

INVENTOR. 7

BY. M,

Wxmrzssss ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIoE.

FRANK'F. MORSE, OF ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING SETTEES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,803, dated June 24, 1879; application filed January 23, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. MORSE, of Athol, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Settees, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of folding seats, and is equally applicable to chairs or settees; and it consists in constructing the back of the chair or settee in one rigid frame, hinging thereto at the proper height the back edge of the seat in such a manner that it may be folded down onto the rear legs, pivoting the front-leg frame to the front edge of the seat by meansof a cylindrical girder mounted in bearings in the end ties or ribs of the seat in such a manner that it may be retated therein, the front legs being set in said cylindrical girder in such a position that when folded said legs may lie between the end ties or sills of the seat, and in the same plane therewith, said seat being held in an extended position by two pairs of jointed diagonal braces, as will be described.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an end view of my improved seat. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the seat folded, looking at the back side of the rearleg frame; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the seat folded, taken on line a; w in Fig. 3.

A A are the rear legs, extending upward to form the endsof the back, made up, in addition thereto, of the stretchers a. and b and the vertical rods 0. The legs A A are connected together near their lower ends by the tie d.

The seat is made up of the series of slats c e,

secured at each end upon an end tie or sill, B, each of which is hinged to one of the legs A by the hinge f, said sill abutting squarely against the front of the leg A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

O is a cylindrical girder fitted to circular bearings in the sills B, so as to be adapted to revolve therein, and having firmly secured therein, just inside of the sills B, the front legs,D D, which are further connected together by the girder or tie g.

E E are jointed braces pivoted at one end to the seat-sill B and at the other end to the rear leg, A, and provided with a shouldered or stop joint, h, at their center, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. F F are similar braces connected at one end to the seat-sill and at the other to the front legs, D D.

When it is desired to fold the settee for storage or transportation, the central joints of the braces F F are moved upward and the front legs are folded inward under the seat; then the center joints of the braces E E are moved upward, and the seat, with the folded front legs, is folded down onto the rear legs, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4..

A very strong and durable settee or chair may be made in the manner herein described, at a comparatively small cost, that can be very easily and quickly folded or set up again without removing any of the parts or disconnecting the ends of braces or ties, all of the connections of the parts remaining as firm when the settee is folded as when extended.

Another important advantage of my improved settee is, that it can be folded into a smaller compass by virtue of the peculiar construction and arrangement of the seat and front legs, whereby the front legs are folded into a position between and occupy the same plane as the seat sills or ties in such a manner that the seat and front-leg frame occupy no more room when the settee is folded than the seat alone as ordinarily constructed would 00 cupy.

I do not claim, broadly, a settee having its seat hinged to the back-leg frame, audits front legs hinged to the front edge of the seat, so as to be folded under the seat, and the seat then folded down onto the back-leg frame, as I am aware that thishas been done before. Neither do I claim, broadly, a rotating cylindrical girder having legs set therein, or jointed braces to hold the parts in extended position, for such devices have been used before; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a folding settee having its rear legs and back formed in one rigid frame, a skeleton sea-t composed of two or more transverse sills and a series of longitudinal slats, and hinged by the rear ends of said sills to the rear legs,

I l a cylindrical girder having set therein the Executed at Athol, Massachusetts, this 17th front legs and journaled in the front ends of day of January A. D. 1878.

the seat-sills, and two pairs of jointed diagonal braces, each permanently secured at one end FRANK F. MORSE. t0 the seat and at the other to one of the legframes, all constructed and arranged as herein Witnesses:

set forth, so that when folded the front legs THOMAS H. GOODSPEED,

shall lie between, and in the same plane with R. W. BEMIS.

the seat-sills, substantially as described. 

